CZECHS OPEN TO URGENT TRANSFER OF SMALL GROUP OF

UNCLAS PRAGUE 001068 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL PREF EZ UZ KG SUBJECT: CZECHS OPEN TO URGENT TRANSFER OF SMALL GROUP OF UZBEK REFUGEES REF: STATE 131485 (U) On July 15, we delivered reftel demarche regarding the UNHCR request for temporary humanitarian transfer of 456 Uzbek refugees in Krgyzstan to a safe third country to Petr Novak, Deputy Director of the Office of Asylum and Migration Policies at the Ministry of Interior, and to Jan Kaminek in the Human Rights Department of the MFA. Novak said the Czechs had not yet received any request from the UNHCR, but he thought it was helpful that the USG was considering re-settlement of some, or all, of the Uzbek refugees once processing could safely be completed. He contacted his supervisor, Office Director Tomas Haisman, who is currently in Brussels where he participated in a July 13 working group on human rights that discussed the UNHCR report on Uzbekistan. Haisman was very interested in the request and gave a preliminary indication that the Czechs may consider accepting a small group (estimated 20 to 40 refugees) for a humanitarian transfer. They plan to inform the Ministers of Interior and Foreign Affairs today, and Novak said that action would be taken over by MFA Advisor Tomas Pojar. In addition, Kaminek confirmed that the EU was seized with this issue, adding that he expected they would sponsor a country resolution on Uzbekistan this fall. So far, all 25 EU member states have agreed on the necessity of such a resolution and he expected the first draft to circulate shortly for comment. DODMAN